Unique Location

UNIQUE LOCATION

At the crossroads of The Netherlands, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, Antwerp lies at the heart of the most prosperous and densely-populated area of Europe. The city harbours many other assets that add to a dynamic environment in which to live, work and do business. Antwerp is a pocket-sized world-class city.

Today Flanders is an important hub in European trade. With the project for the future, Flanders in Action, the region aims to develop further into a top location for innovative entrepreneurs by 2020. Blue Gate Antwerp fits perfectly into the story of Flanders in Action.

a city in which to live, work and do business

More than ever, Antwerp is the economic motor of flanders. The city lies in the centre of the most prosperous and densely-populated area of Europe, with 60% of the EU’s buying power within a radius of 500 kilometres. Numerous transport routes run from and to Antwerp: domestic and international waterways; an extensive rail system with high-speed trains; an effective highway network; and a local airport as well as an international one less than 50 kilometres away in Brussels. For businesses, Antwerp is the perfect home base from which to engage with the West European market.

The port of Antwerp is one of the top five in the world, but its diamond sector and the fact that it is home to the biggest petrochemical cluster in Europe also make Antwerp recognised as a top business city. The city has also popped up as one of the most important trendsetters in fashion.

With a university, five colleges and several international primary and secondary schools, Antwerp offers a broad, high-quality choice in education. The Antwerp labour market offers an array of well-educated, flexible employees with a range of profiles. Multilingualism and high productivity create an exceptional asset.

Antwerp is a multicultural city that has created an international business culture by shaping itself into a junction of various nationalities and cultures. To top it off, Antwerp is a city that boasts a wide array of trendy shops, hip cafés, and outstanding restaurants. In short, Antwerp is a desirable place to live and work, a pocket-sized world-class city.

Economic heart of Europe

Today Flanders is an important hub for European trade. It has a stable business climate and a market-driven economy, with all the advantages that a euro zone member state offers. Furthermore, its location in the economic heart of Europe along with its well-developed transport and communication networks make Flanders an attractive home base from which businesses can easily jump into the European and global markets.

Flanders is an economically prosperous region that excels in several sectors, such as the chemical, diamond and fashion industries. The beating hearts of these sectors lie in Antwerp. But Flanders can also call itself a true global player in other innovative sectors, such as bio-technology. Companies such as the beer giant InBev, the steel wire producer Bekaert, and the materials technology group Umicore are world players in their fields.

Flanders in Action is the project for the future that wants to put Flanders on the top five list of innovative European regions by 2020. Therefore Flanders must excel in every domain: science, economy, ecology, education, social policy, international policy and management. According to the president of the Flemish region, Kris Peeters (CD&V), Blue Gate Antwerp fits perfectly within this story, ‘Blue Gate Antwerp is an example of what Flanders in Action is all about. With its high ambitions, this industrial park will position itself, Antwerp and Flanders internationally.’